TRAMWAY EXTENTIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18530, 15 October 1923, Page 8

TRAMWAY EXTENTIONS.

GREAT SOUTH ROAD SERVICE. jHUREYING 'ON THE WORK. LAST OF RAILS BEING LAID, Everything points to an early completion of tKe tram" service on the Great South Road, from the Manukas Road to the Harp of Erin. ' For some considerable time, a regular service has been conducted as far as Market Road, and it is anticipated that early in November the whole route to tho Harp will bo in operation. The delay in this work was due to the London dock strike, which- postponed the k arrival of the steel rails in the steamer Pakelxa. That vessel, however, is now in port, and a number of loads of rails have already been convoyed from her to their allotted position in tho Great South Road. The part of the road' upon -which work will mostly ' centre for "the next two or threo weeks is at Farmer's Hill, where a considerable amount of excavation -.work had to bo carried out to obtain a reasonable gradient. There is only about a quarter of a mile of track for which the tram rails on tho down line have not been delivered, and. with prompt despatch from the Pakeha, • a day or two should see those on tho spot. The up-track is laid from the Harp of Erin to Manukau Road, and the final rolling in of the tarred road metal at Green Lane was being carried out on Saturday. Between Green Lane and Market Road, the sleepers for the down track are practically all ready for tho rails. In this section there is only one bend in tho track, at the crest of Farmor's Hill, and tho work of finally connecting up the two completed sections should not be a long job. . There still remains a certain amount of concreting to be done on the down track side of Farmer's Hill, and, a start upon this is projected for to-day. * If weather permits, this- short section of concreting could be finished in about a fortnight, although a month must be allowed before the concrete surface can take heavy vehicular traffic.' That, however, would not mean any delay- in the completion of the tram track. • On Friday evening, men engaged on the tram track were working overtime. This, of itself, would seem to indicate on the part of the Tramway Department a desire now that the rails J have arrived, to finish the work with the utmost desptach. Indeed, it appears probable that the service will be opened in time to cater for passengers for the first raco meeting at Ellerslio in November.